


The Totos and the Vanguard

by secooper87



Series: The Child of Balime [36]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-08
Updated: 2014-02-13
Packaged: 2018-01-11 14:29:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1174179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/secooper87/pseuds/secooper87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Seo gets a psychic distress call, she and Alison find themselves at the mercy of life-sucking aliens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"You know," Alison said, nodding at the hospital they were passing by, "just seeing hospitals makes me remember… family. Even when we're at our busiest, it's best to always remember to spend time with family."

Seo's head was drooped. She kicked a pebble down the pavement, her posture slouchy and dejected. "My family hates me," she muttered. Her fists clenched in suppressed anger and bitterness towards herself. "Aunt Dawn won't even look at me, now. Because I was thick and did something when I couldn't remember."

Alison bit her lower lip. This really wasn't working, was it?

"Perhaps… it's a good opportunity to stick around here," Alison proposed. "With your mum. Do mum-daughter activities, and—"

"It's just not fair!" Seo interrupted. She'd arrived at where she'd kicked her pebble, and kicked it again, harder this time. "I thought everything was going fine! And then I made one mistake — that I don't even remember — and suddenly it's, 'I need a break' and 'I need some space.'"

Alison wasn't sure what had happened between Dawn and Seo. But it was making Seo extremely upset. Upset enough that Seo wasn't able to catch all the very obvious hints Alison kept dropping about Buffy's condition!

"She's in America, now, right?" said Alison.

Seo nodded. "She wanted to speak to Ria, but… Ria was in the hospital. In maternity."

Oh.

Right, then.

"I didn't even know she was pregnant," Seo continued.

"You know, I've been to a lot of hospitals, recently," Alison tried, hoping that if she was a little more obvious about it, Seo might actually pick up that there was something wrong.

"Lucky you," Seo sulked. "I'm sure you and Aunt Dawn will have a lot to catch up on. By yourselves."

Right.

There was clearly no getting through to her when she was this upset.

"I'm sure your aunt won't be upset forever," Alison said. "Perhaps… perhaps she just got so worried about you, while you were memory-drained, that she couldn't deal with it!" Alison shot Seo a supportive smile. Then added, pointedly, "After all, it's very hard, almost losing family members. You keep wishing you'd spent more time with them."

Seo might have actually picked that one up.

Alison wasn't sure.

Because the second Seo looked up, puzzled, was when her face suddenly creased in pain. Seo doubled up. Hands on her head. Groaning.

Alison grabbed Seo with both hands. Steadying her. Oh, no. Had it spread? Was the contagion affecting Seo, too? "What…?"

"Psychic message," Seo gritted through her teeth. "Like someone's… in pain. So much pain."

Alison hesitated. Was she picking up on her mum's episodes? "These headaches… aren't regular occurrences, right?"

"Definitely not," said Seo. "Never felt anything like this, before." She looked up at her friend. "It's so strong! Like someone's screaming inside my head!"

"I don't…" Alison started.

But Seo had grabbed her by the wrist, and dragged her off towards where she'd parked her black pillar time machine. "Got to find the source!" Seo insisted. "Got to fix this!"

Alison didn't argue. If this was Seo picking up on her mum's illness… Oliver would fly right to Buffy. And Alison would have accomplished her goal.

"Definitely!" Alison agreed, as they entered the ship. "Let's go track it down. Get to the bottom of all of this."

She grinned at herself, confident she'd succeeded.

It wasn't until they landed on an alien planet in a completely different time… that Alison realized… she hadn't.

* * *

Alison stepped out, looking about herself. Her jaw dropping, as she saw the swirl of purples and reds that made up the sky. The sun loomed small and blue up above them. The soft purple grass bentunderfoot, as she stepped onto the surface.

Nearby, the ruins of an abandoned city.

"The psychic signal's gone," said Seo, coming out after her. Gritting her teeth in frustration. "No way to triangulate the exact position. But it came from somewhere around here. I'm sure."

"Where are we?" Alison asked. Even the air felt different, as she waved her hand through it. A bit more tingly, a bit thicker than she was used to.

Seo shrugged. "Forty first century, somewhere pretty far from Earth," she said. Tilted her head to the side. "Never been near here, before, though. So I can't get more specific than that."

Alison nodded, slowly.

Seo squinted through the hazy air. "Thing is… this planet's giving off radio waves and signs of civilization," she said. "But this city's been abandoned for a while. So… where are the people? What happened?"

A scuttling sound, to their right, and Alison and Seo both turned just in time to see a small boy racing off towards a cluster of blue boulders.

They both darted after him, fast as they could, but he was more used to the thick atmosphere and different gravity than they were, and managed to outrun them, throwing himself into a small hole in the boulder-pile.

Seo and Alison leapt in after him, just barely making it before the passageway rolled shut, behind them.

Leaving them in complete darkness.

It took a while before their eyes adjusted to the light. And they could see that the boy was not alone.

The boy was now hiding behind a group of humanoid aliens with bright orange skin, all carrying gun-looking things and pointing them directly at Seo and Alison.

Seo and Alison exchanged a look.

Then raised up their hands, in surrender.

"Brilliant holiday, Seo," Alison muttered, as they were led off to prison.

* * *

"Look, we're really, really not here to harm you," said Alison, when she'd been dragged to an interrogation room, bright lights shining in her eyes. "We came here to help. Seo's sort of… a…" Alison frowned. "What's the closest thing you lot have to Superman around here?"

The interrogator — an older-looking man with wrinkled orange skin and sunken eyes — gave Alison a hard stare.

"You say you came here," he said, "by following a psychic distress signal."

"Yes."

The interrogator slammed his hands down on the table in front of Alison, the bang loud enough to make her jump. "That means you have psychic abilities," he growled. "And that makes you one of _them_."

* * *

"One of… 'them'?" asked Seo, in an interrogation room down the hall from Alison's. "Who are 'them'?"

" _I'm_ the one asking the questions," Seo's interrogator snarled.

Seo folded her hands on the table. "All right," she said, calmly. "Then I'll answer your questions."

"All of them!" the interrogator demanded.

"My name's Seo," said Seo. "I'm from Earth, in a different time, and I came here in my space ship time machine. It's parked right outside where you found us, and has no weapons or offensive capability. I got a psychic distress call and came here to help." She grinned. "So. Now that we've cleared that up. Who are 'them', and why are you so determined to hide from them?"

"We aren't hiding," scoffed the interrogator.

Seo quirked an eyebrow. "You've tunneled yourselves deep below the ground, and have heavily armed groups guarding all the entrances. I'd say you're hiding from something out on the surface. Something nasty. Something psychic."

The interrogator shot her a cold smile. "Sorry. Not falling for this act, again."

* * *

"I'm _telling_ you the truth!" Alison insisted. "We're travelers in time and space. Well, Seo mostly — I'm just sort of tagging along for the ride."

"And she runs around saving planets, rescuing civilizations, and defeating evil creatures?" her interrogator said, with a sigh.

"Yes!" said Alison. "Exactly!"

Her interrogator leaned down. "We've heard the scripted response already. We fell for it once before. We're not falling for it, again."

Alison blinked. "Sorry, you've… what?"

* * *

"Again?" said Seo. "What do you mean, falling for it... _again_?"

"Who's paying you?" said her interrogator. "Who's been giving your spies this ridiculous script? Did they really think we'd fall for it a second time?"

"There's another time traveler…?" Seo's mind began to spin. Was it the Doctor she'd been getting the messages from? Except… no. Seo had never gotten any psychic messages from him, before. Hadn't even thought it was possible, what with her brain being so rubbishly made.

The interrogator didn't answer.

Just leaned down, right in Seo's face. "Next, you're going to tell us you can help us," said the interrogator. "Free us. Rescue all the people we sent to your King as his Sacrifices. All we have to do, in return, is send out a party to assist you. A party we'll never hear from, again!" He slammed a fist down. "You won't fool us like that a second time!"

Ah.

Doctor or not, this was all starting to make sense to Seo, now.

"You're saying that someone else came to this planet, wanting to help you," she checked. "A benevolent time traveler, who promised to free you from your oppressors. You gave him backup. But something went wrong, and neither your people nor the time traveler ever returned."

"You know this full well!" said the interrogator. "It was a ploy. A lie conjured up by your King to trick us into sacrificing even more of our own people to your paymasters. But it won't work a second time!"

Interesting.

"What if it wasn't?" asked Seo. "What if the other time traveler was being genuine, and really did want to help? But it all went wrong? What if he found himself in trouble he couldn't deal with, then sent a psychic distress signal, hoping someone would pick it up and rescue both him and your people?"

The interrogator stepped back. Severity falling from his face. " _Him_?"

Also interesting. "The other time traveler… wasn't a him?" Seo asked. Her mind racing. Who else could travel through time that might be able to send a psychic signal?

"She looked like you," said the interrogator. "Except she wasn't as short. And her face had no spots."

A human being?

Very odd.

"Listen," said Seo. "What if the people you sent with… what's-her-name… are still alive? What if I can rescue them for you?"

The interrogator didn't seem to believe her.

"I'm not asking you to send any more people out to this… 'King'," said Seo. "Alison and I can go alone. Just point us in the right direction. And let us take all the risk." She looked deep into the interrogator's eyes. "What do you have to lose?"

"You could tell them where to find us," said the interrogator. "The location of our hideout."

"I could, but I won't," Seo promised.

"And why should I believe you?"

"I came here for the other time traveler," said Seo. "She didn't give away your location, did she?"

The interrogator thought about this.

Then stepped back, with a sigh. "You can go," he said. "Provided that your friend stays here. Our insurance."

* * *

Alison, of course, wasn't pleased when she heard this.

"You really think I'll let you wander into the middle of danger without me around to watch your back?" she demanded. Crossed her arms. "You can't do this sort of thing alone, Seo. I won't let you."

"Alison, there's another time traveler out there," Seo said. "Someone able to send me a psychic signal. And I think… I know who it is. I think I know why she can interface with my brain."

Alison gave Seo a glare that demanded an answer.

"Aunt Dawn and I… we met this group called 'the Silence'," said Seo. "Dawn said they were analyzing my DNA. Trying to construct another person who was also a weapon. Someone based on me." She gave a small shrug. "I thought the Silence was blown up, but… if they survived… if they were able to use anything they learned… maybe this time traveler is the end result. _Their_ weapon."

Alison liked the sound of that even less.

"And what if she's dangerous?" said Alison. "Not everyone created as a super-weapon is going to wind up being nice and forgiving like you!"

"I have to see," said Seo. "I have to know. Whoever this is, out there… she has a connection to me, Alison. A strong connection. And if that's my fault…"

There was no talking Seo out of it. Alison knew that, even as Seo was escorted out of the hideout and onto the surface.

But Alison also knew... that was her best friend, out there.

And there was no chance Alison would just sit here twiddling her thumbs 'til Seo got back.

* * *

The King's castle was made of metal.

Constructed from, what looked like, the remains of a gigantic space ship, in the middle of an impact crater. Draw-bridge constructed from an air-lock. The hull all welded together to form turrets and spires, all of them gleaming in the rays of the bright blue sun.

But something… was odd about it.

Very odd.

Seo only noticed what when she got closer. While most of the bits of the ship had been torn out and cannibalized for other purposes, the technology and other bits Seo could see looked decidedly… human.

A panel of the hull, welded on the outside, still displayed faded English writing — "USS Hekatonkheires". Name of the ship, Seo guessed.

Wondered what it meant.

She froze, then darted out of sight, as a large group of monsters, all looking like cobras with legs, stepped out the air-lock draw bridge. They were attired in dull gray jumpsuits, but all carrying energy weapons clearly made for hands with more than three fingers.

Also interesting.

The cobras all turned, in unison, away from her, following their commander, and Seo took advantage and sprinted forwards. The draw bridge was already being pulled shut, so she launched herself at it, barely managed to catch it before it left the ground, then hoisted herself up and over the edge, so she could flip herself inside the castle.

She only realized her mistake when she landed on the metal floor, inside, with a loud CLANG!

And everyone looked up.

"Ah," said Seo, with a sheepish grin. She waved at them. "Hello!" Then turned on her heels, and ran. "Goodbye!"

It didn't take long, however, before she was caught.


	2. Chapter 2

"You have to let me get out there and help her!" Alison demanded. She grabbed the bars of her cell, irritated. "You've sent her to her death, and I'm not sitting back and letting her die!"

The guard didn't answer her.

"You sent out the last time traveler with an entire army!" Alison said. "And these big bads of yours managed to get rid of them all. So what chance does Seo have, on her own, against…?"

"We only sent five men," said the guard.

Alison froze. Blinked.

"Sorry?!" she said.

"We only sent five men with the other time traveler," the guard repeated. "In case it was a trap."

"You mean to tell me," Alison clarified, "that you had someone come here offering to free you from a King who's managed to overpower you and send you all packing in the first place — and you only sent five soldiers with her?" She shook her head. "And you're surprised that she failed?!"

The guard didn't answer. Looked a little sheepish.

"You've got lots of military-looking people round here!" Alison said. "I've seen them. All training for the fight of their lives! Why didn't you take the chance and send them out?"

"I don't have to justify our actions to you," the guard retorted.

"Because you can't justify them to yourself, you mean?" Alison said.

The guard turned on her. "And who are you to believe you know better?" he demanded. "Who are you to tell us what we should do?"

"I'm Alison Korjensky," said Alison. "Member of Torchwood. Trainee of Buffy Summers — one of the most legendary fighters out there. And the one person stubborn enough to make sure my best friend gets out of this alive!"

The guard stared at Alison. Shocked.

His gun dropping from his hands, and clattering to the floor.

"You're… Korjensky?" he said.

Alison frowned. "Yes," she said. "Alison Korjensky. What of it?"

The guard spun on his feet. "This changes everything," he said.

And ran off.

* * *

Seo was led, at gunpoint, into a room lavishly decorated. A starship pilot's seat used as a sort of throne, with a large cobra-looking person sitting in it. The King, Seo supposed.

The King was also attired in a gray jump-suit. But had draped a cape made of a sliced-apart space suit across his shoulders, the clasp looking suspiciously like human bone.

"We caught her, your majesty," said one of Seo's guards. "But she is not human. She is… peculiar."

The King got up from his throne. "Not human?" he asked. Folded back his legs and slithered up to her, then standing upright once more so he could loom above her. "No. You don't smell human."

"She is undetectable by the security systems," another guard reported. "Bio-scans reveal nothing."

"Then she's sabotaged them," the King hissed. "Just as the other one did." He regarded Seo, interested. "Which means…"

He grabbed for her, placing his hands on her chest.

"Do you mind?!" Seo said, squirming out of the creature's grope and batting him away. "Private area! Hands off!"

A smile crept onto the King's face. "Two hearts. As I suspected. So the plaything was lying. She is not alone. Her psychic signal has attracted the attention of her race."

Seo blinked.

Staring.

"The psychic signal," Seo realized. "It was a trap."

"Are you an advanced scout?" the King hissed in Seo's face. "Where is your battle fleet? What are their numbers? What are their armaments? How can we defeat them and enslave you all?"

"I didn't come with an army," said Seo. She stared right into the King's eyes, her expression dark. Reprimanding. "I don't need one."

The others all laughed.

"Bring in the plaything!" the King demanded of the others. "And one of those orange-skinned mammals. I feel like having desert after my main course."

So some of the people sent out here _were_ still alive.

Seo had been right.

Two guards left the chamber. The others remaining with their weapons trained on Seo.

"You lot used to be prisoners, yourselves, didn't you?" said Seo. "That's what you are. Escaped prisoners from a prison ship, probably departing from Earth." She peered at the creatures, grinning as her brain worked overtime. "Only your ship crashed on this planet. You lot got free. Destroyed your jailers and then went on to wipe out the indigenous population."

The King gave a soft laugh. "You do not lecture like the other."

"Oh, I was getting to that," Seo snapped, her expression going dark. She stepped forwards, but stopped as the guns pulsed with charge, getting ready to fire. "Because these 'sacrifices' you demand… you eat them, don't you? Despite the fact that they're sentient life forms, who've never done anything to you — you still feel it's your right to pick them up and swallow them like they're—?!"

"Swallow?" the King asked.

The laughter echoed around the room, now.

And Seo began to feel very uneasy.

Two people were led into the room, both chained and encircled by a cluster of cobra guards. One was an orange-skinned man, looking like the others that Seo had seen before. And the other…

A tall, blond girl. Limping. Bruised, beaten, tortured. Her lip split, her combat fatigues coated in an orange-red blood, her breathing raspy and heavy.

They pushed her, and she fell to her knees, unable to stand.

"I won't let you do this," she gritted through her teeth. Trying to struggle back to a standing position, but unable to. "Take all you want from me, but leave D'Trandor alone. He's done nothing wrong."

"You lied to us, little plaything," said the King, slithering over to her. Yanking her up by the hair, and staring into her eyes. "You said there were no others like you. That your message would never be answered."

"It won't," said the girl, meeting the King's eyes with no fear, only bitter rage. "I told you. The Time Lords are gone. There isn't anyone to respond."

"Time Lords?" Seo said. Shook her head. "But… but you can't be. That's impossible."

The girl turned her eyes on Seo. Noticing her for the first time.

A spark ran through both their minds, as they caught one another's stares. Something different echoing inside their minds. For although they had never seen one another before…

There was a connection between them.

"You lied, little plaything," the King continued. He dropped her to the ground, and turned to the orange-skinned being. "Which means… I get to have my desert, first."

Then the King opened his jaws, tongue shooting out across the room and latching onto the orange creature, who screamed and then began to age, his life being drained out of him and surging through into the cobra.

The imprisoned girl leapt for the King, just as Seo did the same from her side — but the guards had clearly been expecting this already. Shot with their guns, a burning feeling searing through Seo and the other girl, as they collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

Seo fought with her mind to stimulate the nerve endings and shake off the effects of the beam so she could stop this.

But too late.

As the King removed his tongue, revealing nothing left of the orange man but a withered, aged corpse.

"You didn't have to do that!" the injured girl shouted, also struggling to shake off the paralyzing effects of the shot. "You shouldn't even be here in the first place! Haven't you listened to me? By wiping out the population of this planet, you're not just endangering their lives. You're endangering history and the Web of Time as we know it! You're…!"

She was shut up as one of the guards slammed down a rifle into her bad leg, and she bit back the pain.

Seo couldn't stop staring.

"That's… that's impossible!" Seo breathed. "You're actually… a… Time Lady."

Something about the phrase made the other girl wince.

They were both already beginning to regain movement in their limbs. Both beginning to shake off the effects.

"It's a responsibility I've taken on," the girl said. Struggling to twist her head around to shoot a glare at the cobras around her. "A code I've decided to uphold. A title I've adopted… to show my commitment to what Dad said they stood for. What Dad believed in."

"But no one survived!" Seo insisted. "Well, except the Master, the Doctor, and the Slayer. But the Slayer was butchered back when she was a baby, the Master was killed onboard the Valiant, and my father…"

"Your father?" said the girl. "The Doctor… is your…?"

Seo met her eyes. As the truth crashed across both of them.

At once.

"That's how I got your psychic signal," Seo said. "Because… we're… sisters."

"I have… a sister," the girl breathed. Looked like she couldn't believe it. "I have a sister."

It wasn't possible.

But it was true.

They could both feel it.

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"Who am I?" Seo cried. "Who are _you_?! How can you exist? It's impossible — and I should know, because _I'm_ impossible!"

"I'm—" the girl began.

"Dinner," the King cut in. As his tongue flicked out, and wrapped around the girl, tightly.


	3. Chapter 3

The cell was dank, dark, and smelly. Seo was still shaking off lingering effects of the paralyzation beam, trying to restore feeling into her limbs. And trying to look after the unconscious taller girl who was… her… her…

Sister.

"How is this possible?" Seo said, to herself. "It can't be possible! Even the Silence only had the ability to make someone who was mostly human. But…" She looked down at the girl. Adjusted her, so she was more comfortable. "You're even less human than I am."

The girl groaned. "Jenny."

Seo stopped. "Sorry?"

"I'm… Jenny," said the girl. She tried to move, but groaned again under the pain.

Seo supported her, helping her to sit up.

"Who are you?" said Jenny. "Where did you come from? How can you exist?"

"It's a long story," Seo said, with a cringe. "Involving magic, multiple realities, and the Monks of the Order of Dagon." She gave Jenny a warm smile. "Short version is: I'm Seo. From Earth. I got your message, and came to help."

"Did Dad send you?" said Jenny. "Is he…?"

"Absolutely not!" Seo retorted. Crossing her arms. "I'm brilliant alone."

Jenny seemed confused.

And Seo decided it was probably best to change the subject. "You called yourself a Time Lady." She cracked a side-smile. "Did he never give you that lecture?"

"I call myself that because it's what I aspire to be," Jenny said. She managed to sit up on her own, without any assistance. "Dad said it was a code. A heritage to safeguard. A law to uphold. A shared history and a shared suffering and a shared responsibility."

"Yeah, well, he says a lot of things," Seo replied. "I don't listen to most of them. Particularly all those rule and regulation bits." She made a face. "Those are just… rubbish!"

Maybe that was why Aunt Dawn had abandoned her.

That made Seo feel a little sadder.

Jenny looked like she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. "But it's our responsibility to uphold them," she insisted. "Don't you see? I went out and researched what it meant. What the Time Lords were. That's what Aychron told me to do."

"Aychron?" said Seo.

"My… mentor," Jenny said. A flicker of sorrow passed through her, but she shook it off, immediately. "I had been running away from my heritage for so long, because Dad said I was…." She paused. Then raced on. "But Aychron told me he only said that because I didn't understand what being a Time Lord meant. That I needed to make it a conscious choice, needed to learn what the Time Lords were and swear to uphold their responsibilities. Swear to enforce their rules and regulations."

Seo hadn't thought of that.

She'd always just called herself a 'Time Lady' as an act of stubborn defiance, because she knew that no matter what species she labeled herself as, someone would take offense, somewhere.

That was the problem with being a mix of too many species.

"Aychron sounds… very wise," Seo offered.

Jenny's smile showed all her affection in an instant. "He taught me everything I know," she said. "And when he…" the smile dissolved. Jenny looked away. "After he… passed on… I realized he was right. If there were no more Time Lords anymore, I had to do my part. I did the research, built a time machine, worked out all the ins and outs of time travel. I found those — temporal senses — you know, the ones that are tucked away and dormant except when you travel through time? The ones that tell you when something's wrong and needs to be corrected? A… loose strand in the Web of Time, was the term in one of the books I read."

"You read boring old research books?" Seo cried. "You actually sit down, and take the time to work out—?!"

"This place is wrong," Jenny cut in. "Can't you feel it? The Totans — the indigenous species — they're supposed to thrive. Strike out into the universe, eventually developing a rich and sophisticated culture that's technologically—"

"How do you know all this?" Seo asked. "Have… you haven't been to this planet's future?"

"I did my research," said Jenny. "Aychron said you never go into battle without intelligence. It would be suicide." She peered at Seo. "Don't you do the same thing?"

"I… um… yes," Seo lied. "Of course! I'm… very responsible, too!"

Jenny didn't seem to believe it. But just went on, anyways.

"I don't know how the Vngor managed to wind up here," said Jenny. "They shouldn't even have developed space travel, yet, by this point in history. But somehow, they wound up…"

Oh!

This one, Seo knew.

"I'm guessing," said Seo, "that the Vanguard—"

"Vngor," Jenny corrected.

"…were prisoners," Seo went on, beaming. "Prisoners once held on Earth, but transferred to a prison off-world. Using this — an Earth Prison Ship. That's why they named it Hekatonkheires — the Hundred Handed ones, and the guardians to the gates of Tartarus." She jumped to her feet, then went over to knock on the walls of the cell they were being kept in. "But then… see these scorch patterns? They're pretty distinctive. I think their ship had those timeonic tachyon drives that Earth liked to use in the 71st century, except there was a fault. Instead of propelling them through space, the engines ripped a hole in time. This lot fell through, into the past."

Jenny stared at Seo. A little taken aback. "You knew all that without doing any research?" Shook her head. "How?"

Seo decided it was probably best not to mention that she knew the scorch mark pattern because of a childhood experiment she'd carried out which had gone extremely wrong. And whose impact she'd been very lucky to survive.

"I'm… clever!" Seo said.

Jenny nodded. "Me too," she agreed. "That's why the two of us together can think up a plan. A way to defeat the Vngor once and for all. Drive them off this planet, make sure history takes its rightful course, and—"

"How long have you been doing this for?" Seo interrupted. "Just… traveling through time and space and planet saving?"

Jenny thought it through. "I've… lost track," she admitted. "Been doing it since the day I was born. Must be… about a hundred years ago, I think."

"You're… my age?!" said Seo.

Somehow, Seo had assumed Jenny was a lot older.

"It's just what I do," Jenny replied. "The only life I know. Traveling through the universe, righting wrongs and saving worlds, defeating impossible monsters." She grinned. "And… running. Love the running."

Jenny shifted.

Winced, in pain.

"Not doing so well with the running right now, though," Jenny admitted.

Seo watched her. Analyzing her every movement. There was something about her — something all that independence and determination was trying to hide — no, trying to smother — as if Jenny were running and running through the universe so she wouldn't have to look back.

"You're alone," Seo said.

"I don't need anyone," Jenny put in, hurriedly.

Hurriedly enough that Seo knew it was a lie. It was the same way that Mom said she didn't need a boyfriend or a love-life, even though Seo knew she desperately wanted one, but couldn't risk anyone else getting caught in the Powers That Be's trap.

Seo gave Jenny a kind smile. "You've got me, now, anyways," she offered. "And I'm far too annoying and obnoxious to simply vanish on you."

Jenny, for a moment, looked a little uneasy. Then dismissed it, changing the topic. "We need a plan," she said. "Something clever we can do to fight back. Otherwise, the Vngor will just start draining the both of us for every bit of energy we have, until... our psychic signal… reaches…"

Jenny left the next bit unsaid.

Seo knew what she meant. The only other person who'd be able to pick up a Time Lord telepathic message.

"He might already be here," Seo muttered. Cursing herself inside. "He's always following me around, checking up on me like I'm some great big baby he has to look after."

Jenny stared at Seo.

Her whole mask of determination falling away in an instant.

"What?" Jenny cried. "You… he's actually… with you… but that's not…!"

A look passed across Jenny's face. A look of utter misery and confusion and… unfairness. Like the universe had just crashed in around her and she didn't understand why.

It was the look, Seo realized, that she'd been feeling since the moment Aunt Dawn had left her.

The look was gone in an instant.

As Jenny bit it back.

"I can get out of this cell," Jenny provided. Climbing to her feet. "I've done it before." She staggered forwards, removing a panel of the hull to reveal a series of wires. "But I can't get the others out and get to safety without the Vngor catching me. They always seem to know where I am."

Seo leapt up. Raced over.

"Oh, that's neat!" Seo said, realizing what Jenny must be doing. "You've overridden the door mechanisms!"

Seo reached into the control panel, and connected two bits of wire together. Then grabbed Jenny's hand and led her towards the door. "Come on! Can't lie around here all day!"

Jenny seemed startled. "But… we haven't even thought up a plan, yet!"

Seo dismissed this. "Thinking's overrated," she said. "Let's get started with some of that running you were talking about!"

* * *

Apparently, the name 'Korjensky' meant something very significant, in the future.

Which, come to think of it, might explain why every time traveler Alison ran into always did a double-take when they heard her last name. The Doctor. Jack. Even Buffy recognized it, when she first met Alison.

Odd.

But the moment this lot learned Alison was a Korjensky, they let her out. Gave her access to weapons and soldiers and all sorts. Placed all their faith in her, in an instant.

Right, then.

First thing Alison did was call a meeting. Gathered together all the soldiers this lot had, made them all assemble into the barracks. Then started the meeting using a trick Buffy had taught her — one that, according to Buffy, was guaranteed to get everyone's attention.

Alison entered the barracks, grabbed up a battle axe, and threw it across the room.

Thunk!

The sound reverberated, as the axe embedded itself into the far wall.

"You're all going to die," Alison told them.

Everyone stared at her. No one saying a word.

"But you already knew that," Alison continued, walking into the middle of them. "Or you lot wouldn't be hiding away down here, scared to even move." She pointed above her head. "And meanwhile, there's a group up there ready to turn you all into sacrifices. Clawing away at you, bit by bit, until you're too weak and frightened to fight back."

Still, silence.

"Look at this barracks!" cried Alison. Gesturing around herself. "You've got weapons. You've got military strength! But when someone came along who could use it, you gave her only… what? Five soldiers? You think that's enough to do this properly?"

No one said anything.

"So now you have a second chance," Alison said. "Another choice. Will you wait around here, in the dark, for these life-sucking blokes to come turn you into Happy Meals? Or are you going to gather up the full force of your army, and drive them off forever?!"


	4. Chapter 4

Jenny and Seo didn't run so much as stagger through the corridors.

Seo didn't know where the exit was, and didn't really care. She was too busy trying to think up some way to defeat these Vanguard… err, Vngor… and help the… what had Jenny called them?

The Totos?

"They should look like little dogs, with a name like Toto," Seo decided, as they crept along a corridor. "Not orange and humanoid."

"Tot _an_ , not Tot _o_ ," Jenny corrected, in a whisper. "And keep your voice down!"

"It was the same with those Sontarans," Seo continued, ignoring her sister. "They had a rubbish name, too. They're short — they should have a short name. Like… Jop." She rather liked that. "I should call them that. The Jop. I'm sure they'd love it."

Jenny stumbled, and Seo managed to steady her. Help her forwards.

"If you've met the Sontarans," Jenny hissed through her teeth, "you know they'd shoot you the moment you said anything like that." She paused. Then, admitted, "Not that that's ever stopped _me_ , but… still…"

"Oh, I've met them," Seo assured Jenny. "They're not very nice. Although they do have this rather brilliant device that stops all the guns from working. I used that during the US Civil War, once. Modified it so that it stopped only _alien_ guns from working, not humans'. Rather brilliant, I thought."

Jenny paused. Mind working furiously. "Guns…"

"Yeah, I'm not really a fan of guns," Seo admitted. Beamed. "I like bombs! And things that go boom and smash up buildings." She paused. "Also battle-axes. I used to hack apart robots with battle-axes."

"That's it!" Jenny realized. A relieved smile on her face. "An energy-pulse halting signal! The Vngor are only winning because they have superior fire-power. Numbers aren't on their side! If we just got to the core of the ship, we could rig up something to stop their… weapons…"

Jenny paused.

As she took in her surroundings for the first time.

"We're at the core already," she realized. Turned to Seo. "You've already had this idea!"

Actually, Seo hadn't.

Or not the entire thing.

She'd just had the beginnings of the idea, and then figured that, whatever they were going to do to finish the idea, it would probably only be accomplished here. Then trusted that she'd be able to think up something brilliant at the last moment, when she arrived.

"Yes," Seo lied. "I told you. I'm very responsible."

Jenny was already darting for the controls she needed. Reconnecting and rewiring, with a stubborn determination planted on her face that showed how little she was willing to let herself think of her own pain. Pouring every ounce of focus into the task at hand.

Seo just stood back.

Thinking.

Jenny seemed so alone. But why? What had happened? Why'd she needed a mentor, and not used her family? Maybe her family had abandoned her, too, just like Aunt Dawn had decided to abandon Seo. Maybe the thing Jenny most needed, right now, was a sister… and a friend.

Friend…

Seo suddenly broke into a smile, as she darted forwards. "Aha!" she cried. "Oh, I am… extremely brilliant, sometimes. You know that?" She began working on her plan, on the far side of the spot where Jenny was working. "If only Aunt Dawn could see me now!"

"What are you…?" Jenny started, not looking up from her work. Then hesitated. "No, wait. You… have an aunt?! How's that even possible? I thought the Time Lords were all—"

"I'm human," Seo replied, also not missing a beat in her work. "Well, part. On my mom's side. I'm a mix of lots of different races. That's why nobody wants to accept I'm one of them." She moved on to another cluster of wiring. "It's an odd thing, really. Too much of everything, and you become… nothing."

"You have a mum?" Jenny asked. Her voice shook a little.

Seo glanced up. Pausing in her task. "Did… something happen to yours?"

Jenny opened her mouth to speak.

But that was when the Vngor alarms went off.

Jenny grabbed up the panel, slamming it back in place to hide the wiring. "We have to get out of here," she said. "Now."

"But I wasn't done!" said Seo. "I still…!"

"Doesn't matter," Jenny cut in. "I finished, and if we linger around here, they'll work out we've done something. Run a diagnostic and undo everything." She tugged Seo along behind herself, limping fast as she could out the door and down the corridor.

Seo accepted, a little reluctantly.

"Have to come back and finish it later," she muttered, glancing over her shoulder.

Jenny heard something in the distance. Cringed. Then dragged Seo forwards and pushed her ahead. "Run," Jenny urged. "Get out of here. I can't."

Seo spun around. "What? I'm not leaving!"

"You have to," Jenny urged. "Save yourself. I'll be fine."

Seo shot her sister a puzzled look. "I was _planning_ to save _both_ of us," she snapped. Stubbornly returning to Jenny's side. "And I'm not about to run away and let you get tortured, again! What kind of rubbish rescue operation would that be?"

"They'll torture you, too!" Jenny hissed.

Seo was trying not to think about that one.

Very vehemently trying not to think about it at all.

"Nothing they can do to me that the Master hasn't done ten times worse," Seo decided. Trying to convince herself it was true.

Oddly enough, just the fact that Jenny needed her was making Seo feel calmer.

She _had_ to survive this.

For Jenny!

The Vngor quickly surrounded them. Guns drawn and aimed. They looked trigger-happy, ready to fire at any moment.

Jenny had a small grin on her face, as she faced down the guns. "Think you can—?!"

"We surrender," Seo interrupted, quickly. Forcing Jenny's hands up into the air, and placing her own there, as well. "No need to shoot."

Jenny snapped her head around. The glare on her face saying she wanted nothing more than to call these monsters out, make sure they were aware that Seo and Jenny had the upper hand.

Seo raised an eyebrow at her, in warning.

"The others of your kind are cowards, it seems," came the sibilant tones of the King's voice. As he emerged before them, standing just behind the guards. "You might never give up, plaything. But your companion, here, is willing to surrender first chance she gets."

He eyed Seo, hungrily.

It was a look that made Seo shudder. Seo cursed herself out inside her head, frantically trying to make herself stop shaking and trembling and cowering. No! Couldn't act scared!

She had a sister to impress, now!

"I'm not afraid of you," Seo said, her voice squeaky and just a bit too hesitant.

No! Bad!

She cleared her throat.

Put on her best 'scary-voice', her best menacing glare, her best imitation of her parents when they faced down evil monsters, and repeated, "I'm not afraid of you."

There!

That was more like it!

Seo grinned at her own scary-voice. It sounded a little like her father's scary-voice, the one he used when he announced that he was the Oncoming Storm, the Ka Faraq Gatri, and he would stop at nothing to make sure that lives were saved!

Seo hoped Jenny saw her like that.

If not, Seo figured there was very little chance Jenny would actually go along with her plan.

At a nonverbal command from the King, the Vngor guards surrounding Seo surged forwards, grabbing Seo up and dragging her away from Jenny.

"No, wait!" Jenny protested.

"Don't provoke them!" Seo called back over her shoulder. "Just… do what they say. Please."

She really hoped that Jenny got the message. She couldn't let the Vngor open fire. Not yet. Not now.

The Vngor King slithered up to Seo, his yellow eyes glinting as he surveyed her. "Yes," he said. "I fancy a new meal. The flavor of my old one is getting… mundane."

The guards snickered.

"Take me instead," Jenny pleaded. "She's part-human. She won't… taste as good!"

Seo wished Jenny would stop pleading. She was trying to seem heroic and self-confident, and Jenny was not helping with that, any!

"I said," Seo told the King, her voice a shade darker, "I'm not afraid of you."

Because nothing made a power-hungry monarch who led through fear alone more angry than when his prisoner was fearless.

The King just laughed.

Right.

Seemed that trick worked better when you hadn't said it sounding squeaky and terrified the first time around. Seo decided she needed to work on that one.

Maybe muck-ups like this one were the _real_ reason Aunt Dawn had left her.

"Please!" Jenny said. "Anything you want. Just… don't!"

The King continued to hiss in laughter. "What my plaything knows," he informed Seo, "is that I like my meal… tenderized, first." He gripped her upper-arm, tight enough that Seo thought it might break. "Call it an indulgence. Playing with my food."

Ah.

Actually, that wasn't something Seo was too keen on.

"On second thought, maybe we could just sit and discuss the weather," Seo proposed. "Or… do each other's toenails and gossip about boys. Alison and I did that, once, and—"

She was cut off, with a cry of pain, as the King lashed a claw out at her back. Digging through her skin.

"Silly little cowardly thing," the King hissed at Seo. "I'll enjoy the fun I can have with you." His eyes shifted over to Jenny. "Take my plaything away."

Seo turned her head. "Don't do anything rash," she told Jenny. "I'll be fine! Don't worry!"

She just really hoped Jenny would believe it.


	5. Chapter 5

Alison had known Seo would figure out what she and the Totans were up to.

That was part of Alison's confidence and assurance, as they stormed… well, it didn't actually look much like a castle. More a… space ship.

But they stormed it, all the same!

Alison's human DNA opened every locked door — even the drawbridge that looked like a busted airlock! And they were inside in no time.

Yep.

Sure enough, Seo had expected Alison, and already done something clever. Something that knocked out these cobra-looking things' guns, leaving the armies stunned and not sure what to do next.

That moment of surprise and hesitation was all the advantage they needed.

The Totans surged forwards, fueled by their rage and their oppression. They overcame the front guard to the castle easily, most of them fleeing for their lives.

"Find the dungeons," Alison decided, racing off. "Or… brig, or… whatever they're calling it." Space ship turned castle. Way to throw the rules of nomenclature out the window! "Got to release those Totan prisoners."

Besides which, Seo was probably down there, somewhere. Locked up.

Or else she would be, once she was done running around being clever, and had finally gotten caught.

It took Alison's Totan army a while to find the dungeons, but they did. And were quickly able to work out that shooting just to the right of the doors would blow out the locking mechanisms, causing the doors to slide open. Easy as that!

The Totans crying out in joy every time they found a still-living prisoner.

Met their lost colleagues with hugs and happiness.

Others were sad, because they had lost people to the sacrifices, too. People who hadn't shown up here.

They'd nearly gotten to the last cell, when a Totan raced over to Alison. Calling for her by name. Alison glanced over.

The Totan pointed behind himself. "They got… reinforcements," he panted. "We don't know how long we can hold them off."

"One more cell," Alison promised. "Then we'll get Seo, and she'll sort this out for us." She leveled her gun at the locking controls, and fired.

Bulls eye!

The door slid open, and Alison burst inside. "Seo?"

"She's gone," said a voice.

Alison spun to her right, and saw a tall woman with blond hair tugged back in a sloppy ponytail. Her army fatigues were torn and covered in blood. She looked injured, in pain, yet… determination was written across her features.

She also looked decidedly human.

Least, more human than anyone else Alison had met on this planet.

"They took her away," the woman said, as Alison bent down and helped her up. "I tried to stop them. I tried… to give myself up… in her place. But she wouldn't…"

"That's her!" shouted one of the Totans, leveling a weapon at the woman. "That's Jenny. The one who betrayed us."

Alison's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding? Put that down!" She gestured at the woman — at Jenny. "Just look at her! She's clearly not getting a five-course-meal and a warm bath out of all of this!"

The Totan hesitated. Lowering his gun.

"I… tried to help," Jenny said. "I tried everything. I…" She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm so sorry."

"There, see?" Alison interjected. "She tried." Turned back on the Totan, eyes blazing. "Only _you lot_ never gave her a chance to succeed! Sent her out here to battle down invincible aliens with nothing at all!" She stepped forwards, voice lowering. "Seems to me… you were hoping to sacrifice _her_ , so the cobras would go a bit easier on you."

The Totan dropped the gun to the ground. Looking a little sheepish and ashamed.

"Right," said Alison. "Now that we've gotten that cleared up…"

The sounds of screams from the nearby corridor. Alison helped Jenny to head over to the door, and they watched as the cobras opened up their mouths and lashed their long tongues at the Totans. Dragging them away and then leaving for cover before the bullets could strike.

"The bullets don't actually kill them," Jenny observed. "Their skin's too thick. We need… real guns. We… need…"

Then Jenny paused.

Her face suddenly breaking into amazement.

"Oh, _that's_ what Seo was doing!" Jenny realized. "That was her plan all along! She must have known you were coming!"

Alison shot Jenny a quizzical look. "Well, course. Seo knows she can rely on me in a tight spot. That's my job."

Jenny glanced at Alison. "Are you… her aunt? Her mum?"

"Nope, just Alison," said Alison. "Best friend." She looked out at the Totans, all suddenly growing scared and panicked. "Retreat!" she shouted. "Get away! Don't…!"

"No," Jenny shouted, over Alison. "Charge! Frontal assault! Hold the line!"

They obeyed. Something in Jenny's commanding voice making them snap to attention and follow exactly what she said.

"You can't just send them…!" Alison protested.

"The Vngor are feeding, they're defenseless and weak and they know it," said Jenny. "If we flee and scatter and let them pick us off one by one, it'll only make the Vngor stronger. Swarm them now, and they'll be unable to resist. Will have to let their victims go, in order to run away, themselves."

Alison stared.

That actually made quite a bit of sense.

Whoever this Jenny was, she was clever.

"So they're relying on the past terror they've instilled in this lot?" Alison said. "Hoping for a reaction and a retreat?"

Jenny smiled. "I can see why Seo keeps you around. You pick this up fast."

"Not really," Alison admitted. Helping Jenny forwards, as the followed in the wake of the frontal assault. "I've just had a really brilliant mentor, recently." Then cringed, as she remembered… the secret Buffy was making her keep.

Oh, Alison really wanted to break that promise!

"I… had a mentor like that too," Jenny said, quietly. "I know what it's like to—"

"Where'd Seo get to, any rate?" Alison cut in, sharply. Eager to change the topic. "You said she was taken."

"First… get back to the central core," Jenny said, managing to use the wall to steady herself, so she could walk — all right, limp — unaided. "That's more important. We must save the Totans."

Alison bit her lower lip.

Totans? Or Seo? Totans? Or…

"Oh, Seo's probably looking after herself," Alison decided. Following Jenny. "Has to be. She's brilliant."

* * *

It wasn't Master-level bad.

That was something to be thankful for. While Seo felt like her flesh was searing with pain, while she could barely manage to keep herself from screaming, and had to gather all her reserves to continue to seem brave — still.

No Jack hating her.

No Toclafane.

No Earth burning beneath her feet.

The Vngor tried to invade her mind, but Seo always managed to keep them out. Used all the psychic tricks she'd learned from facing down the Master — and those were substantial.

"Sure… you don't want… to just let me go?" Seo pleaded with the King. "Or sit around and discuss this?"

The King seemed highly amused by this. "You _are_ a coward," he noted. "So little torture, and already, you're pleading for mercy." He folded his arms, claws glinting with Seo's blood. "The other was right. You must be related to the humans. You snivel like them."

"I… do _not_ snivel!" Seo protested.

The next lash of claws made her reconsider that.

"Fine," she said, her voice small. "Maybe… I do a bit. But it's _dignified_ sniveling."

The King hissed. About to lash out, again.

But was interrupted by the messenger who slithered in through the door. "Your majesty!" the messenger said. "We're under attack! The Totans!"

Good old Alison!

Seo had known she could rely on her for an escape!

"Then kill them!" said the King. "Shoot them down."

"We tried, your majesty," the messenger reported. "But our weapons… they've stopped working!"

And… as Seo had thought… the King became very unsettled by this. They weren't his weapons, after all. He and his lot had just stolen them from their human jailers. He didn't know how they worked, or how to fix them.

"We can still overpower the Totans using sheer brute strength," the King decided. "We did it to the humans who brought us here!" He gestured at the guards around him. "Every Vngor to the front line! Destroy them!"

The others rushed out to do his bidding.

The King thought a moment. Then pressed a switch by the door, and the entire area sealed off. A protective blast-proof shielding sliding around them — a standard extra protection safety-feature for the command-deck of any Earth ship built around this time. In case of space pirates or other attacks, Seo knew.

The King then tore the switch to shreds, so it was useless. Could never be activated again. "Perhaps the others will be destroyed," he snarled, "but I will live forever. I have all I need right here." Hard eyes fixed on Seo. "Food. And entertainment."

Seo swallowed, hard.

Right.

Not exactly what she'd hoped for, then.

Didn't matter, now, if Alison was here with a rescue. Didn't matter if the Totans took over this ship and liberated themselves. Didn't even matter that Seo had just learned she had a sister!

No one would be able to penetrate this inner sanctum.

Seo was trapped here forever.

"Look at that," said the King. "You're terrified."

"No, I'm not!" Seo protested. But she was, and there was no use denying it. She didn't know if she could get out of this, and if she couldn't think up a plan… she was sentencing herself to live as the plaything of a sadistic life-force eater.

The King grabbed her forwards, and Seo stumbled, dizzy from blood loss.

"You don't even know the best part," he said. Then gestured at a super-reinforced window that had just opened up in the side of the room. "I'm going to wait until your friends are here. So they can watch as I make you suffer. And know they can't stop me."

Seo thanked her lucky stars.

Sadistic and cruel? Oh, absolutely.

But at least… now… she had time to think up a plan.


	6. Chapter 6

"Seo must have known," Jenny muttered, beneath her breath, as she struggled to finish the rewiring that Seo had started. "She worked out that bullets were useless against them, because otherwise, the Totans would have driven the Vngor off long ago. She knew you were coming, knew that in blocking out the guns, I was also creating a sort of… central control point for them. One spot on this ship that could tell the guns whether to fire, or whether not to." Jenny grinned. "She really _is_ my sister. It's the sort of brilliant thing only I would ever come up with."

Alison did a double-take. "Sorry… _sister_?"

"If I just finish what she started," Jenny continued, her eyes glued to her work, "the guns will only work if my control signal recognizes the DNA as Totan. Otherwise, the guns will fizzle out. That's the key to getting rid of the Vngors!"

"Right," Alison said. Shifting from foot to foot. "So… just to clarify… you're Seo's _sister_?"

Jenny finished up her work, slamming the panel back down. "Just have to tell the Totans," she said. "All the Vngors will be throwing away their weapons moment they find they're useless. Better make sure the Totans know they can use them, before the Vngor regroup and start a full frontal assault on—"

The sound of a high-impact energy beam rang out through the air.

Accompanied by the cries and shouts of joyful Totans, who were all scrambling to arm themselves.

Jenny slowed, and stopped, hand against the wall, keeping herself upright. "Ah," she breathed. "Sounds like they worked it out for themselves."

"You're… Seo's sister," Alison repeated.

Jenny spun back to Alison. "You seem surprised. Doesn't… Seo have other siblings? Human siblings?"

"Uh..." said Alison, not sure how to react to this. Then paused. Realizing what Jenny had just said. "Wait. You're… not human?"

"Not remotely," Jenny agreed. She turned around, trying to run but managing only to stagger. "Follow me. We need to find Seo."

"Oh, you're her half-sister!" Alison realized. "On her father's side! That makes..." She paused. Then frowned. "Nope. I stand corrected. That doesn't make this make any more sense."

"I was not… naturally born," Jenny admitted. She sounded agitated, just talking about it. All the cool, calm collectedness she'd had when battling back evil had vanished, replaced by someone nervous, twitchy, someone who seemed… very young. "I… I'm from… a machine. Born… as a soldier, to fight a war. I'm… a… genetic anomaly."

Alison shrugged. "Created by machine, created by magic Monks," she said. "All the same, really." She grinned at Jenny. "Least you're not part evil hell goddess!"

Jenny stared. "I'm sorry?"

The utterly incredulous look on Jenny's face was enough to crack Alison up. "Oh, you're going to love getting to know Seo," she said. "She's got mystery enough to last you several lifetimes!"

* * *

The Totans had been struggling, when the Vngors first attacked en masse.

They were screaming. Dying. They didn't know what to do.

Then one of the Totans had discovered that the Vngors' weapons now worked. The very weapons the Vngor had discarded, and which were now on the Totan side.

They all snatched up the weapons.

The battle ended very quickly after that.

The Totans had won their freedom.

* * *

Jenny and Alison skidded to a stop, when they approached the area where Jenny had claimed Seo would be. There was no door. Just a smooth metal surface. A wall.

"Thought you said this was—" Alison started.

Jenny put her hand against the wall. "Oh, no," she said. "It's the safety protocols. He's activated them. Secured himself and Seo on the command deck." She banged her fist against the metal shielding. "It's impenetrable! We can't get in."

Alison spun around. "No," she decided, racing around the perimeter of the metallic wall. "No, there has to be a way inside! There just has to!"

"Alison, that's not going to help!" Jenny called out. She tried to race after Alison, but cringed in pain, and couldn't quite manage it. "We need to _think_. Find a way to override the controls!"

Alison's shout of alarm stirred Jenny, immediately.

Jenny struggled over to where Alison was standing. Just in front of a window that Alison was frantically attempting to batter down with the butt of her gun. She even tried shooting at the window, but the bullet simply ricocheted off it, and Jenny had to pull Alison away before she got hurt.

"I said you couldn't break in like that!" Jenny snapped. She grabbed Alison up by the shoulders. Staring hard into her eyes. "Listen to me carefully. You can't be impulsive about this! I used to be like that — used to throw myself in front of speeding bullets and hope things would turn out all right." Something dark sprung into her eyes. "But it just lead to… tragedy. Death. Misery. Over a century, I've learned… to control myself."

Alison looked like she wanted to protest.

But didn't know how.

"We have to _think_ ," Jenny continued. "Or we'll never get her out. Do you understand?"

Alison nodded.

Jenny let her go. "Right then," she said. Looking around herself. "I haven't been on _this_ type of space ship, before, but… I've been on other Earth ships. I'm familiar with this sort of safety protocol." She darted down, yanking a panel off the floor. "I remember, now. There's a glitch — or there was in the early models. Might not be here anymore. But… if you started up all the food processors in the kitchen, at once, the ship would have to redirect power from this safety protocol through to the kitchen. The power supply has one second when it's fluctuating, and we can use that to—"

Alison shrieked.

Jenny was at her side in an instant.

Just in time to watch as the King's tongue impacted with Seo, wrapping itself around her body, making her skin grow pale and her eyes bulge.

"She'll be fine," Jenny insisted. "She's like me. Far as I know, we don't age, we just regenerate! You won't even see it on her."

"You don't… what?!" Alison shouted. She pointed at Seo. "She ages! She used to be a baby, you know! And her mum said she looked only fourteen when she got here, and aged herself overnight by draining off her own life force to help this bloke she fancied!"

Jenny's breath stopped in her throat.

Then she raced back to the panel she'd opened, before. "Have to do this fast, then," she decided. "Hopefully she won't age as quickly as a human or a Totan, but…"

Jenny kept up the ramble.

But it was clear that Jenny wasn't listening, and neither was Alison. Alison's attention was just fixed on the window. On Seo, looking so battered and beaten up and hurt, the Vngor's tongue curled around Seo's limp body, as the Vngor King drained the life out of her.

And then the King began to grow.

No… not just grow.

It _evolved_.

Its scales lengthened and drooped over its form, stiffening and hardening into plates of battle armor. Its claws became even sharper, talons growing out of its elbows, horns sprouting across its head. The cobra was becoming some sort of… super-cobra. One with a power that not even Alison could imagine.

"Uh… Jenny?" Alison said.

"Just give me a minute!" Jenny called back. "Not easy, triggering all one hundred food processors remotely at the same…"

"Jenny!" Alison interrupted, a little more panicked. "Just how big do these Vngor get, exactly?"

Jenny looked up. "How big?" Raced over to the window. "What do you…?"

Jenny's jaw fell open.

"That's not supposed to happen," Jenny said. "That's… that can't be…" Her eyes fell on Seo. Jenny pointed. "Seo hasn't gotten any older."

Alison felt a shiver run through her.

"I thought you said she—" Jenny started.

"Seo's the Key," Alison realized. "They're sucking energy out of her, but… that's what Seo is! At her core. She's just… energy!"

Jenny looked entirely lost. "Sorry… she's what?"

"She's like… oh, it's hard to explain," Alison said. "Basically, she was created from this… energy source. The Key. It's powerful enough to blow up worlds and redirect rifts and… and… I don't know! Unlock basically any universal lock there is!"

Horror appeared on Jenny's face.

As she stepped away. "The Vngor King is draining dimensional energy from her," Jenny breathed. "That's why he's evolving."

"We have to get her out of there, right now!" Alison insisted. "If they drain off all her Key energies, there'll be nothing left of her. She won't regenerate; she'll die."

A horrible, aching sadness swept across Jenny's face.

As she turned away.

And muttered only, "I can't."

"What?" Alison shouted. Grabbing her by the shoulders. "You said you could! You have to! She's going to—!"

"I have a responsibility to more than just you," Jenny growled. Her eyes hard and biting. "More than just me. More than just her. I have a responsibility to the universe." She glanced at the window. "And what's locked in there… should never be allowed to get out."

Alison felt herself go numb.

"You can't do this," Alison said — pleaded. "Seo's not a monster. She's my best friend. You can't…"

"It's not about Seo!" Jenny interjected. Pointing. "That Vngor has evolved into something thoroughly unstoppable. Utterly malicious. Insatiable and sadistic and willing to tear apart worlds." Her hands were shaking, and she seemed overcome with emotion. "I'm… I'm sorry. I'm _really_ sorry. But I can't let it out."

"But she'll die," Alison whispered.

Jenny squeezed her eyes shut. "There's… nothing I can do about that," she admitted. "I'm sorry. I can't say that enough. I really, really am."

Alison turned back to the window. Watched as her friend grew more and more pale, the creature becoming stronger and stronger. It'd outgrow the room, pretty soon. Be able to burst through even this shielding, and come for them.

Right?

Or… was Jenny correct? If they got Seo out… would they condemn the universe?

Then, on Seo's pale face, Alison thought she could see… a smile.

And a roar ripped through the air. A roar loud enough to penetrate even the sound-proof walls of this stronghold. The roar of the super-evolved cobra King, who was now writhing and flailing.

The whole ship shook.

But the stronghold remained sealed.

Seo was saying something, now. Speaking with a wide grin on her face, as if she'd just won at some gigantic game, and couldn't help rubbing it in the loser's face — at least a bit.

If only to brag about how clever she was.

As if in response to whatever Seo said, the Vngor King snapped his tongue away. Staring in horror at the armor plating on his body, as it grew brittle and began to chip away. The skin around his face going pale, drained, his eyes turning sunken.

He tried to run, but couldn't escape. He was still large, but all his strength was ebbing from him. All remaining energy collapsing, rapidly.

He pounded on a wall where a door had once been. But it remained shut.

Seo peeled herself up from the floor. That same clever grin on her face, as she spoke to the dying creature once again. And it howled at her.

"She tricked it," Alison said. Beaming. "Ha! I knew she'd do that! I knew it!"

Granted, there had been a bit of doubt.

But that was the duty of a best friend, right? To worry?

Jenny seemed absolutely overawed. "How'd she manage to do that?" she asked. "It's… impossible. Remarkable. And… the color's returning to her face. She isn't even harmed."

"Nope," Alison agreed.

If anything, Seo looked better now than she'd been when she first started.

The cobra King surged at Seo with its claws, but its attack was weak and ineffectual. Seo could block it easily. Sidestep it at a moment's notice.

A minute later, the cobra King died.

And Seo was left, alone, in that room. Sealed away.

"Get her out of there," Alison demanded. "Release her."

Jenny finished rerouting power. And in thirty seconds, managed to fuse the doors open, again.

Alison raced into the room to where Seo had slumped down onto the ground. Threw her arms around her friend. "Thought you were dead!"

Seo glanced at Alison. "Feel like it," she replied. Groaned. "Remind me never to do that again. Think I need to sleep for a week to gain back my energy."

"He's dead," said Jenny, inspecting the King. "Really dead. Completely." She turned to Seo. "What did you do?"

Seo gave a tired, drained smile. "I'm… well, I wasn't exactly born naturally," she began. "I'm…"

"Right, yes, Key, got that bit from Alison," said Jenny. "But the King was sucking out your… dimensional energy. From this… Key — whatever it is. I thought…"

" _My_ dimensional energy?" Seo laughed. "As if I'd be that irresponsible! No, the Key isn't _just_ energy. It's… well, it's also a convertor. Least in my case. If I put my mind to it, I can scoop up energy from anywhere and direct it towards anywhere else." She took a number of slow, steady breaths. "Takes a lot out of me, though, doing it like this."

Jenny's eyes went wide. "You… you can…?" Fascination crept through her expression, a smile lighting up her lips. "Alison was right. Mystery to last several lifetimes."

"So you were siphoning off dimensional energy from somewhere else?" Alison asked. "But… it was making him bigger. Forced evolution."

"At first," said Seo, with a shrug. "He loved that. But unlike life force energy — dimensional energy, in large quantities, is highly corrosive. That's just common sense."

Jenny looked as if she hadn't known anything about it.

Apparently, dimensional bits and bobs that were 'common sense' to Seo were _not_ common sense to the greater universe. Not even the genius sections of the greater universe.

"I fed him too much," Seo explained. "Choked him on it." She gave a guilty grin. "He should have listened when I begged him to stop."

"Brilliant," Alison said. "Absolutely brilliant."

"Yes," Jenny muttered. "Remarkably so." She climbed over the dead body of the King, and helped Seo up. "I think I'm going to like having a sister," she decided.


	7. Chapter 7

They stayed a bit longer.

Mostly so that Seo had a chance to gain back her energy, and Jenny had a chance to lapse into a healing coma and make herself better, again. Although the two sisters did do a certain amount of chatting along the way.

Alison, as an ordinary human being with no superpowers to re-energize, devoted herself to helping the Totans in their rebuilding efforts. Assisting them as they moved their cities above ground, set up their infrastructure.

In particular, Alison was able to redo their computer system. She was quite good with computers.

"Tosh taught me about this coding structure last year," Alison told them. "It's a bit alien, but… I can work it out."

Then grimaced, as she remembered… what had happened to Tosh.

Poor Tosh.

Alison had wanted to stay a bit longer, help them more, but after a week, both Seo and Jenny looked as if they might go mad with staying in one place.

Well.

Fine with Alison.

Seo looked like she was now in a much better state to pick up on all the hints that Alison was dropping, and work out what was really going on, back home.

"I'd better get going, too," said Jenny. She shifted, uneasily, then offered a tentative hand to Seo, to shake. "I… I'm glad I got to know you, a bit. I… don't think I'll feel so alone, in the universe, knowing you're somewhere out there."

Seo didn't take the hand.

She had that concerned expression on her face. That look she always got when she'd decided something was extremely wrong, and it was her duty to fix it.

"Where are you going next?" Seo asked, quietly.

Jenny shrugged. "Oh, here, there, anywhere really," she admitted. "Time and space to explore. Monsters to defeat. Planets to save. And a lot of running to—"

"Alone?" Seo asked. "With no family or friends or…?"

Jenny couldn't keep it back any longer. A wave of anger swept over her as she shouted, "Well, not _all_ of us are lucky enough to have Dad following us around everywhere!"

Seo stared.

"Sorry," Jenny said, composing herself. "Sorry, it's just…" She clenched her fists. "I haven't seen Dad since the day I was born. I… I… don't…" She looked away. "I don't have any other family."

A terrible sadness washed across Seo's face. "No family?"

Jenny didn't answer.

"No family," Seo repeated. "No home. No aunts or moms or Jacks. No one in the universe to care…"

Then Seo shoved a determined, stubborn look on her face. Her eyes blazing, her face certain.

And she grabbed up Jenny by the wrist.

"Nope," Seo decided. "That won't do. Not at all!"

Jenny looked up at her. "I don't…"

"If you're my sister, I can't let you race around the universe with no family and no home!" Seo told her. "I _won't_." She turned around, dragging Jenny after her. "So it's settled. If you don't have your own family, you'll have to borrow mine."

"I… I don't…!" Jenny tried to protest.

Alison just giggled as Seo dragged her sister inside of Oliver.

Nope. There was no use arguing with Seo when she was like this.

No use at all.


End file.
